Editorial: Those who traffic in human beings deserve the worst the law allows

Friday

Aug 9, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 9, 2013 at 8:33 PM

Most Americans want to believe that slavery no longer exists in this country, that it disappeared with the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. But it still flourishes, not in the overt ownership of another human being, but in a type of dependence that forces compliance with and participation in prostitution or low-wage labor.

Halifax ENC

Most Americans want to believe that slavery no longer exists in this country, that it disappeared with the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. But it still flourishes, not in the overt ownership of another human being, but in a type of dependence that forces compliance with and participation in prostitution or low-wage labor.

In July the StarNews sponsored a forum concerning human trafficking, an industry that often operates so far in the shadows that few people — and even many law enforcement agencies — are unaware that it's happening in their own backyard. When details emerge, such as recent headlines, which reported an FBI raid in 76 cities involving sex trafficking of young girls, we are horrified that such a thing could be happening here.

But it does happen, every day. And North Carolina is among the top 10 states for the occurrence of human trafficking. Yet only 16 people have been charged under the trafficking statute since it was enacted seven years ago.

That's in part because law enforcement officers often aren't trained to be on the lookout for characteristics of a prostitution or labor ring on the move. That's changing, though, and some departments are making it a priority to train officers what to look for. The signs aren't always easy to spot — something as subtle as a young woman with a man's name tattooed on the back of her neck, which one Cary officer fresh from training recognized as a bit suspicious.

Worldwide, most victims of human trafficking are used for forced labor, but sex trafficking is particularly difficult to spot because the pimps move with their girls from place to place.

Like the girls in the recent FBI raid, most of these victims are very young. The average age of girls lured into these de facto sex slavery rings is 12 to 14. They may be runaways, or neglected by their own families, when they are lured into a life of prostitution that they cannot leave.

They're not chained, but they are in unfamiliar surroundings with no money and no nearby family. Survival depends on the pimp who drives them around from motel to motel, where they trade sex for money — most of which the pimp keeps.

Until now, the legal system has treated these young women as criminals. But thanks to a bill championed by State Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, and fellow legislators determined to stop human trafficking, North Carolina will offer a "safe harbor" to victims of these prostitution rings. Instead of a permanent prostitution record, women and minors who are found to be victims of sexual slavery would receive counseling, other assistance and a second chance.

But harsher punishment for those who profit from human trafficking is also necessary, and Senate Bill 683 elevates a conviction for human trafficking to a Class D felony, a category that includes such crimes as voluntary manslaughter, first-degree arson and malicious use of an explosive or incendiary device.

Earlier this year, Gov. Pat McCrory signed another Goolsby-backed bill that would require those who engage in sex trafficking to register as sex offenders.

These people prey on vulnerable, often desperate young people and deserve to be punished according to the lasting scars of their crime.

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